Wire curving tools



Aug. 10, 1965 M. WALLSHEIN WIRE GURVING TOOLS Filed March 21, 1962 FIGS 1 ENTOR, MELVIN wALLSHElN,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,199,549 WIRE CURVWG T0915 Melvin Wallshein, 8645 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Mar. 21, B62, Ser. No. 185,771 6 Claims. (ill. 149-106) The present invention relates to tools through which a Wire is pulled to curve it and in various embodiments may also be used to bend crimps in a wire. These tools are intended for an orthodontist, to curve arch Wires.

The usual device for curving a wire is to have three substantially parallel cylindrical pins or rollers, mounted close to one another, the middle one intersecting the plane which is tangent to the other two. The wire is set to contact all three rollers by being between the intermediate roller and each of the other two in sinuous fashion, and then pulling the wire while maintaining the sinuous formation therein in association with said rollers. Another way is to use two close cylindrical pins or rollers; the wire being passed between them and held in an S-formation on said pair of elements while one end of the wire is pulled. In each instance, the curve effected in the wire will depend on the distance between rollers and their diameters.

The principal object of this invention is to provide novel and improved wire curving tools of the character mentioned, where without change in the relative position of the rollers, they will accomplish different curves when the wire is placed in different working planes across the same rollers.

Another object thereof is to provide a novel and improved tool of this sort of the three roller type in which the distance between the intermediate roller and the line of centers of the other two, is changeable and of course, the same would be applicable to change the distance between rollers in the two-roller type tool.

A further object thereof is to provide a novel and improved tool of the kind described of the three-roller type, in which the distance between the intermediate roller and the line of centers of the other two is changeable as well as the distance between the two outer rollers and if desired, the respective distances from the intermediate roller from each of the others.

A further object of this invention is to have novel and improved tool constructions using dilferent kinds of rollers and such shall be changeable.

Still a further object is to have a single tool provided with a multiplicity of rollers arrangeable in many different combinations of different rollers in groups of two or three as desired and further if desired, such tool will afford change of distances between rollers in every combination thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel and improved wire curving tools of the kind set forth offering different kinds of rollers and each roller or some of them otfering diiferent sizes of rollers in themselves, having the attributes mentioned and which are simple in construction, easy to adjust and manipulate, reasonable in cost and etficient in carrying out the purposes for which they are designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For the practice of this invention, I use pins and rollers of cylindrical shape with and without grooves around "Ice their periphery. These grooves may be of different depths and in some instances are made in different directions. I also have conical rollers which may have grooves around their periphery. I mount these rollers in any desired combination on plier tools in some forms of this invention, and provide for interchangeability of the rollers thereon, if such is desirable. In another embodiment, I have a number of turrets equipped with sets of different rollers'which are revolvable into a work position where different combinations of the rollers are made possible. Besides rotation about their respective axes, I also provide that the turrets are movable for adjustment of the distances between them, if such is desirable.

I will now give a more detailed description of some of the constructions embodying the teachings of this invention for which I will refer to the accompanying drawmg constituting a part of this specification. In such drawing, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a wire-curving tool embodying this invention, consisting principally of sets of rollers on turrets which are manipulatable to present various combinations of rollers at working position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of FIG. 1, showing particularly the rollers which are at working position.

FIG. 3 is a side View of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a modified embodiment. tool is in plier form.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a group of rollers which may be substituted for the rollers shown included in the tool of FIG. 4, or is another combination which can b had with the tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the jaws of the plier shown FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a smooth conical roller.

In the drawing, I have shown examples of roller and pin forms which I 'use in tools for wire curving. The numeral 15 indicates a cylindrical roller, the numeral 16 shows a cylindrical pin, the numeral 17 is for a cylindrical roller having annular grooves 18, 18, 19, 19 about its periphery and the numeral 20 denotes a conical roller which preferably has annular grooves 20' about its periphery. As heretofore mentioned, for wire curving work, I use a combination of two or three of these elements, mounted on any suitable frame. For this, I prefer a hand tool where at least one distance between rollers is adjustable. So for one embodiment, I have chosen to use a parallel-jaw plier means 21, having one jaw 22 enterable between the tines 23, 24 provided on the second jaw 25. Each tine carries a roller as an extension thereof and the first jaw 22 carries a roller also; the-axes of all rollers so mounted in the embodiment illustrated, being parallel. I have specifically shown grooved upright conical rollers 20a on each of said tines of the jaw 25 respectively, and a similar roller 2% in inverted position on the plier jaw 22. As such pliers 21 are closed, the roller 2% will approach the rollers 20a and may come between them and even pass beyond them. The limit of such movement can be controlled by the adjustable screw 26, if such provision is desired to be included. Said rollers are preferably removable and replaceable Here, the

for the tool to be versatile, and the distance between the rollers on the tines 23, 24 may be varied by provision of a series of spaced holes in each tine as shown at 27 and 28 as different positions for the axis screws 29, 29'. Of course any combination of roller types may be made and in FIG. 6, for example, I have shown cylindrical rollers 30 for the tines and a conical roller 31 for jaw 22.

As an example of a tool which affords all combinations at working position and carries all its equipment as a unitary structure, I have shown the hand tool designated generally by the numeral 33 which includes a turret 34 intermediate the turrets 35 and 36; each turret carrying an identical series of roller and pin elements, as 15, 16, 17, 20 and 32, the last being another example of roller form, namely cylindrical with annular grooves 32 about its periphery. The intermediate turret 34 is rotatable on a horizontal axis 37 on a slide structure 38 slidably carried on the base member 39 having a downwardly extending handle 40. The blocks 41, 42 fixed on the base 39, serve as the tracks for the slide structure 38, and offer the tracks respectively for the slide structure 43 and the slide structure 44 which rotatably support the turrets 35 and 36 respectively. The line of travel of the intermediate slide structure 38 is between the slide structures 43 and 44 and perpendicular to their line of travel. The direction of travel of said outer pair of slide structures is towards and away from the intermediate slide structure 38. There is a set screw 38' to fix the slide structure 38 in any set position and similar provision is made at 43' and 44' for the outer slide structures.

In order to differentiate the roller and pin elements on the respective turrets, those on the turret 34 are designated wherever they appear, by a numeral which is 1% more than the numeral of the corresponding element on the turret 36 and those on the turret 35 wherever they appear, by a numeral which is 209 more than the numeral designating the corresponding element on the turret 36. So in the FIGS. 1-3, at working position, there is the inverted conical roller 120 on the intermediate turret and the rollers 20 and 224 on the turrets 36 and 35 respectively; the said rollers 20 and 229 being conical and upright. The axes of rollers at working position are parallel.

Without further illustration, it is readily understandable that all three turrets may be like the middle one shown and all mounted on parallel axes, or the middle turret may be as is and the others to be like it, but on parallel axes which are perpendicular to that of the middle turret, with all roller and pin elements on a face thereof respectively. For a most practical construction, I have shown the arrangement of turrets as illustrated in order to attain good accessibility and clearance to do work at working position and to have some compactness. So I have made the axes 35 and 36' at 45 degrees slope with respect to the general plane of the intermediate turret 34, respectively and hence angle A is 135 degrees so that at working position all roller and pin elements are parallel. Since I have five ditferent roller and pin elements on each turret and one position thereon where it is blank as at 45, I prefer that each turret be hexagonal in the particular embodiment shown. To fix the position of the turrets, I have the set screw 46 for the intermediate one and the others are fixed by tightening their axis screws.

It is evident that with either of the tools 21, 23, I can have at working position any combination of two two or three of the rollers and pins and distances be tween them can be changed as these tools permit. The different diameters offered along a conical roller makes it a single roller offering a multitude of different sized cylindrical rollers without the necessity of changing rollers to get a different diameter at working position. The conical roller may be without the annular grooves 20', and a practical combination for the smooth conical roller 47 is to have it on the jaw 22 in the plier tool 21, or

combination with grooved cylindrical rollers like 32 as its co-operative pair at working position. Although I have shown most of these elements as rollers which is the form I prefer, they may be fixed instead as pins and the term rollers as herein used, shall be deemed to include such elements whether they are mounted fixed or for rotation.

Initial bend in the wire to be worked may be made by placing an end portion of such wire between the intermediate roller and the other two in the plier tool 21 or likewise as to the rollers at working position in the tool 33, and then as the case may be, by closing the plier or shifting the slide 38. To make a crimp in the wire, the plier form is best. The straight wire is placed in the open plier between the roller on the jaw 22 and the rollers on the jaw 25, and then closing the plier. The depth of the crimp made would be determined by the setting of the adjustment screw 26, or the extent the plier is closed. The width of the crimp made would of course be determined by the plane the wire is set in at Working position when the roller used on the jaw 22 is conical. To have the advantage of di ferent diameters at working plane, the grooves l3, 13' should be of clifierent depth respectively, and likewise the inclined grooves 19, 3th, in the roller 17.

In FIG. 6 I have shown a wire W set in the tool 21 or 33, in position to be curved by pulling the Wire at end w; the portion w" of said wire being comparatively long.

Using a tool having two rollers, it is fixed, and the wire is held in the hands, which are spaced therealong. The wire portion between the hands, is passed between the rollers, in contact with them and bent to straddle them to form an S-formation. Then the wire is pulled with one hand and guided with the other while one or both hands are moved to alter the S-forrn therein. Variance in the Storm will vary the resultin curve given the wire.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. it is therefore desired and intended that the embodiments shown herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and that the patent shall cover all patentable invention herein set forth, reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In an orthodontic wire curving tool, two rollers carried on a frame; said rollers extending in one general irection and in a predetermined spaced relation from each other; at least one of said rollers being conical.

2. A tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the other roller is also conical; one roller being inverted with respect to the other.

3. A tool as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the rollers is provided with perimctrical grooves.

4. In a wire curving tool of the character described, three rollers carried on a frame; said rollers extending in one general direction; at least one of said rollers being different in cross-sectional area at parallel planes across its length; said frame including two relatively movable parts; one of said rollers being on one of said parts and intermediate the other two rollers, and the other two rollers being detachably mounted on the second of said parts, means on said second part for attaching said two rollers thereon at different positions in relation to said intermediate roller and means to hold said parts in any desired spaced relation.

5. In an orthodontic wire curving tool, three rollers carried on a frame; said rollers extending in one general direction and in a predetermined spaced relation from each other; at least the intermediate roller being rotatably mounted; at least one of said rollers being conical, and the outer rollers being identical and similarly positioned.

6. A tool as defind in claim 5, wherein the other rollers References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Rauschenberger et a1. 15315 Corrigan 140106 Federspiel 140106 XR Loveless 140106 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 38,585 3/31 France. 116,894 9/ 18 Great Britain.

229,012 12/43 Switzerland.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

WILLlAM F. PURDY, MICHAEL V. BRINDISI,

Examiners. 

4. IN A WIRE CURVING TOOL OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, THREE ROLLERS CARRIED ON A FRAME; SSID ROLLERS EXTENDING IN ONE GENERAL DIRECTION; AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ROLLERS BEING DIFFERENT IN CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AT PARALLEL PLANES ACROSS ITS LENGTH; SAID FRAME INCLUDING TWO RELATIVELY MOVABLE PARTS; ONE OF SAID ROLLERS BEING ON ONE OF SAID PARTS AND INTERMEDIATE THE OTHER TWO ROLLERS, AND THE OTHER TWO ROLLERS BEING DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON THE SECOND OF SAID PARTS, MEANS ON SAID SECOND PART FOR ATTACHING SAID TWO ROLLERS THEREON AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN RELATION TO SAID INTERMEDIATE ROLLER AND MEANS TO HOLD SAID PARTS IN ANY DESIRED SPACED RELATION. 